


given one more chance

by tittydicktea



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: (but i had to write them doing that so who REALLY wins), Adorable Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Canon Divergence - Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Canon Divergence - Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Characters explain things so i dont have to, Found Family, Gen, Hurt Loki (Marvel), Hurt/Comfort, I dont know how the fuck to tag lmao, Injury Recovery, Jotunn Loki (Marvel), Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Loki Lives (Marvel), Loki has a dream, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Resurrection, Sentient Infinity Stones (Marvel), sleeping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 15:46:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29778429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tittydicktea/pseuds/tittydicktea
Summary: "No resurrections this time..."In 2018, Thanos won. He snapped half of all life out of existence and then destroyed the stones.His biggest mistake, though, was thinking that a broken neck would keep Loki dead.In 2022, Loki crashes into the Stark's garden and is found by Morgan, who immediately takes a liking to him.Pepper and Tony aren't exactly thrilled with their daughter's new obsession with the injured God.
Relationships: Infinity Stones/Loki (Marvel), Loki & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Loki & Pepper Potts, Loki & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Comments: 13
Kudos: 98
Collections: Loki/Infinity Stones





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am once again writing a self-indulgent endgame rewrite.

> _" **Undying?** You should choose your words more carefully."_
> 
> _"You will... never be... a God..."_
> 
> _" **No resurrections this time..."**_

* * *

He was floating.  
It was the first thing he realized.

The second thing he realized was that he couldn’t breathe.  
It wouldn’t be the first time he was floating with his lungs empty, desperate for air.

The third thing he realized was that something was calling to him. Something deep within him, but something also surrounding him.

It whispered in his ears, and it shouted around him. The voices were distorted, shattered.  
Like they had been broken apart and scattered throughout the cosmos.  
He couldn’t make out what they were saying.

He reached out to the Void- _the Void which had once swallowed him whole and let him fall into cold, merciless hands_ -and felt something reach back. He felt an old powerful energy desperately reaching for him. It, like the voices, was broken. Shattered. Weak.

He grabbed ahold of it, gripping it tightly, desperate as if it would save him from damnation.

The universe whispered to him, soft whispers of comfort and begging to hold on, a voice louder than the rest spoke to him.

_“Beloved…”_

It was a soft voice, gentle and soothing like the night sky, deep and open like space.  
It was just as broken, just as pleading, just as desperate as the rest.  
He opened his mouth to speak, but the voice soothed him; the cool energy soothed him.  
The energy was familiar, familiar like a favourite book, familiar like soft bedsheets after sleeping on the ground for so long, familiar like-

It felt like Home.  
He wanted to curl into it, embraced and safe; he wanted to sleep in its hold, warm and healthy.  
The energy wrapped itself around him, entwining itself with his own essence, his very existence.  
He felt it pull on his power- _his seiðr, he remembered_ -He felt it grip his seiðr so tightly, drawing on it and entwining itself within it.  
He didn’t fight it; he knew it wouldn’t hurt him. He knew it wouldn’t dare to hurt him; it cared for him too much.

He felt a warmth fill him; it had been far too long since he’d felt this safe. The warmth curled near his heart, embracing him and feeding his soul with love and life.

 _“Beloved, help them…”_ The voices whispered. _“Undo what He has done…”_

The last thing he realized, as Loki opened his eyes for the first time in four years, was that he was _alive_.

* * *

“Mommy? There’s a man in the garden.”

Pepper Stark looked up from her book and over at her daughter, Morgan.  
“What did you say, sweetie?”  
“I said, there’s a man in the garden. He fells in there. He’s got big ouchies.” The four-year-old said, standing just outside the screendoor.  
Pepper stood, stepping outside with her daughter. “Can you show mommy where he is, sweetie?” The little girl nodded and shuffled over to the tulips.

Lying face down was a tall, lanky man with long dark hair and very, very pale skin.  
Pepper could see horrible bruising on his exposed hand and wrist, and what she could see of his neck was stomach-churning. It was almost darker than his hair; his neck looked like it had been crushed, slowly, by a very large hand.

 _Of all the days for Tony to go shopping…_  
Pepper knelt to the unconscious man, gingerly grabbing his shoulder and flipping him over. When she saw his face, she recoiled backwards in shock and fear.  
The too pale face of Loki greeted her. He was unresponsive; she didn’t even know if he was _alive_. 

Thor had said Loki died, so had the Refugees.  
Thor, Bruce and the Valkyrie had explained Loki’s last act, sacrificing himself to save Thor and the Refugees.  
Apparently, there was a statue in the middle of New Asgard, of Loki’s helm on a pillar, the pillar covered in the names of Asgard’s deceased from Hela's Attack, Thanos' Attack and then The Snap.

But Pepper couldn’t help but think about 2012, when he held a sceptre in his hand and had led an invasion unto New York. She couldn’t help but remember Tony’s nightmares after everything that happened.

Morgan poked at Loki’s face softly. “Mommy, I think he needs helps.”  
Pepper looked at her daughter, snapping from her mind and back to reality, and let out a breath.  
“I’ll… bring him inside, can you please call daddy? Ask him when he’s coming back.”  
Morgan nodded, dashing off inside as Pepper looked back to the unconscious form destroying her tulips.

She gingerly gripped under his arms, shifting and shuffling until she had her arms wrapped around his chest- He was so _thin_ \- and she started dragging him towards the family home.  
His head rested against her shoulder, his face oddly peaceful despite his body’s horrible injuries.

She dragged him up the stairs, thinking if she should try to contact Thor or one of the other Asgardians at all. She gingerly pulled him towards a couch, placing his arms in his lap and putting a pillow under his neck.  
“Friday? Could you please scan him? How bad are his injuries?”  
“One moment, please.”  
“Thank you, Fri.”

A moment passed, and a hologram of Loki’s body appeared, showing a crushed trachea, multiple fractured vertebrae, multiple fractures in his wrist and hand, along with older injuries that never healed, such as a large stab wound through his chest, many broken or fractured bones that healed wrong, burns and other scars.

Pepper tore her eyes away, and instead, she looked at Loki with… pity?

Little footsteps alerted her to Morgan’s presence.  
Tiny hands gingerly placed a bandaid onto a cut on Loki’s cheek. “Is he gonna gets better, Mommy?” Morgan’s big brown eyes looked up at her, shining with curiosity and concern for the unconscious, almost dead man on the couch.  
Peper glanced between her daughter and Loki; eyebrows creased slightly.  
“I… I don’t know, sweetie.”

* * *

It took an hour for Tony to return; in that time, Morgan had been hovering around Loki or asking Pepper questions about Loki. Pepper hadn’t said much, just that they needed to wait for Tony and that the man’s name was Loki.

Morgan had decided that her lovely pink bandaids looked wonderful plastered all over Loki’s face-“I gotsa fix his booboos Mommy!”- and that his hair needed brushing. She had meticulously brushed every lock of dark tangled hair, careful of his neck, until it lay flat around him. That took up almost forty minutes, and she spent the remaining time eating cookies until Tony returned.

Tony pulled into the driveway and saw Pepper with her arms crossed on the front veranda, anxiety practically radiating off of her.  
He stood, bringing over the two bags of food he bought, giving her a concerned look. “Everything good, Pep?”  
Pepper shook her head. “No, I- Well, Morgan-”  
“Morgan? What happened with Morgan? Is she okay-”  
“Yes, she’s fine, she just-”

“Daddy, you’re back!” Morgan cheered, running over to him and hugging him. “I founds a man! He fells out of the sky and ruined Mommy’s tulips. He gots ouchies, but I fixeded them with bandaids!”  
Tony, upon hearing this, gave his wife a wide-eyed look. “He?”  
“Mommy said his name was Loki.”

Two paper bags hit the ground, and a middle-aged man ran into his home, eyes wide and alert. Brown eyes landed on the couch Loki laid upon, face covered in pink bandaids and hair brushed. Tony’s jaw clenched, his posture stiff and defensive.  
He made his way over to Loki, looking him over. “Fri, could you-”  
A hologram of Loki’s body appeared, showcasing his injuries.  
“Thank you.”

Brown eyes scanned it over, then glanced at Loki.  
“Boss,” Friday spoke up. “My analysis shows he is severely dehydrated and starving. I recommend getting him some water and something to eat.”  
Tony hesitated for a second, running through scenarios in his head, then made his way to the kitchen.  
He got a glass of water, and a banana as an afterthought and left the items on the coffee table.  
Tony watched Loki's unconscious form for a few moments, eyebrows furrowing as his jaw clenched.  
He looked up as Pepper kissed him on the cheek gently. He smiled at her slightly.

Soon after, the Stark family ate dinner and went to bed, Tony giving Loki a hard glare before he went to tuck his daughter in.  
“FRI, Wake me up if he causes trouble.”  
“Yes, Boss.”

* * *

" _Beloved.._ "  
  
The voices whispered to Loki as he regained semi-consciousness.  
He felt his seiðr flowing through him and around him, wrapping itself around his bruised and broken body. Warmth flooded him, soothing the sharp pain and calming it until it was merely a dull sensation.  
Loki sucked in a small breath, happy with the painless movement. Loki flexed his hands, wincing slightly at the slightly sharper pain from his bruised wrist.  
  
The soft warmth ventured towards his most painful injuries- his neck, mainly- and the voices whispered to him again. " _Beloved... We are doing our best to soothe your aches... Open your eyes, dear..._ "  
Loki opened his green eyes slowly, blinking a few times and waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.  
He glanced around, his eyes locking onto two glowing shapes staring at him. He squinted at it.  
  
He slowly sat up, grimacing at the pain shooting through him. He kept an eye on the Iron Man helmet sitting on a chair in front of him.  
Although he remembered very little of 2012, he recognized the helmet design. Glancing around the room, he saw pictures of Tony and a woman he'd never met. He saw a child in a few pictures. 'Good for him.' Loki thought.

"Loki," A voice said, making Loki flinch slightly. "Boss said the glass of water and the banana on the table are for you."  
Loki glanced at said items, reaching over and grabbing the water. He looked at it carefully, a green glow emanating from his hands.  
"What are you doing? Boss said to report any 'suspicious' activities."  
Loki opened his mouth to speak, but a choked squeak left his mouth instead. Loki pouted slightly, then sighed.

He waved a hand, an illusion of himself appearing. It was shaky, unstable, but it did what it had to.  
"I was checking the water to make sure it wasn't poisoned. And I am using an illusion to speak, for now."  
The illusion dissipated as Loki took a mouthful of water.  
  
Oh, it was wonderful. Loki never thought he could miss _water_. He greedily gulped down the glass of water; he could already feel his body healing quicker. It would take some time for his seiðr to heal his injuries, but less pain was better than before.  
He looked over his bruised wrist, wincing as he twisted it. He ran his fingers along the skin, trying to see how bad the break was.  
Loki grimaced, looking back to the Iron Man Helmet. He squinted at it again, alert and on edge.  
  
" _Beloved,_ " The voices whispered to him again. " _Rest. We will protect you if there's danger._ "  
Loki let out a small breath, agreeing that rest would do him good. He lay down again, his head against the pillows. He stared at the ceiling for a few moments before the warmth embraced him again, comforting and soothing him. He let himself drift off, the voices whispering to him.  
  
" _Rest well, Beloved. We love_ _you._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so. not a Lot of hurt/comfort yet. but its gonna happen. this will not be Tony and Pepper glaring at Loki for the entire fic.  
> also not a lot of. anything else I've promised. YET. its only chapter 1! it'll get there.  
> I'll be bouncing between this and [we'll be here when the world slows down](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29017647/chapters/71220363) until they're completed. it really just depends on when my brain lets me write things.
> 
> come yell at me on [my tumblr](https://tittydicktea.tumblr.com/)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki wakes up, spends some time with Morgan, Tony and Pepper discuss some stuff, and then Loki dreams again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 2 babey

For once, Loki's dreams were calm. He dreamt of being on a cliffside, staring off into the ocean.

A hand touched his shoulder, and he looked up to see a very tall figure in long flowing white robes.  
Their hair was dark and long, floating gently in the air, their skin was glowing white, with shades of colour sometimes appearing, and their eyes were like space, deep and vast, with stars and nebulas flowing within.

They knelt to him, hugging him gently. Their face buried in his shoulder, their arms wrapped around his waist, and their soothing energy washing over him like a wave.  
There was no pain here, only Loki and-

A warmth hitting his face awoke him, and a humming entered his ears.  
Green eyes slowly opened, squinting against the light. Blinking a few times, waiting for his eyes to adjust, he glanced over to the person humming.

A small child, the one from the pictures, was drawing happily on the coffee table next to him.  
Loki watched her for a few seconds, then looked towards the glass of water and a packaged food on the table, with a note underneath with his name on it.

He sat up, slowly and carefully. This alerted the child, who looked up at him with big brown eyes. She grinned at him.  
"Good mornin'! You was sleeping for a long times, longer than mommy sometimes!"  
Loki glanced around again, not seeing the Iron Man helmet from the night prior. The child scooted closer to him.  
"My name's Morgan! I found you in mommy's garden yest'rday. You fells from the sky!" Loki glanced at her drawing.  
"Mommy said you're dangers," Loki figured that humans wouldn't particularly be fond of him. "but I don't think you're bad, Mr Loki. " She grinned up at him sweetly. She held up her drawing.  
While it looked like a child drew it, the drawing was of him, crushing some flowers, and of Morgan touching his face. Loki smiled a little at it.  
"F'iday said you needed water, so I gots you some!" she picked up the water and offered it to him; Loki took the glass gently.

Morgan stood up with an excited gasp and suddenly ran out of the room. Loki furrowed his brows slightly, a little confused, but shrugged it off. Children are universally weird; it seemed.  
Loki took a few sips of water, deciding to pick the packaged food up as well. He looked it over. It said it was a 'muesli bar', with chocolate chips on it. Loki wasn't sure what it was, but he couldn't eat it anyway. He put the packaged bar on the table.

Loki looked up as Morgan ran back into the room with a small bag. She smiled at him and walked over to him.  
"When you was resting, I brushed your hair. It was all messy and bad, so I made it neat. Can I put some ribbons and bows in your hair?"  
Loki thought the request over for a few seconds, then he nodded slowly, careful of his neck. Morgan grinned and sat next to him, a pretty pink clip in her hand.

Over the course of an hour, Morgan had filled his hair with pink and purple ribbons, bows and any other accessories she could find. Eventually, she somehow managed to convince Loki to braid her hair.  
And that's how Tony and Pepper found them; Morgan sitting on a small chair with Loki braiding her hair delicately. Loki obviously had practice; the braids were neat and somewhat effortless for him. He would occasionally mess up somewhere; then, he would undo the braid and re-braid it until he was satisfied with the braid.

Pepper and Tony stood in the kitchen, Pepper with a coffee in hand and Tony leaning against the counter.  
"He was really nice there." Pepper started.  
"Yeah, he was."

They sat in silence for a few seconds. The only noise filling the room was a clock on the wall and some noise from the living room.  
"Maybe, he isn't...all bad, you know?" Pepper looked up at Tony, who nodded hesitantly with a hum.

The two looked toward Loki and Morgan. Loki was laying back down while Morgan excitedly spoke about all sorts of things. She talked about a book, then how her daddy was really smart (which Loki agreed with!), then she started rambling about one of her favourite shows.  
Loki listened to her, occasionally smiling a soft smile whenever Morgan giggled or made a joke.

Loki glanced over to Tony and Pepper, then looked back to Morgan (who had moved closer, showing him one of her toys.)  
"I need to find him a neck brace; it wouldn't do good for him to accidentally re-break his neck while Morgan braids his hair or something," Tony said after watching the two. Pepper hummed in agreement, her eyes on the trickster god and her daughter.

"Should we tell Thor?" Pepper asked quietly, looking back to her husband. Tony looked at her and bit his lip.  
"I'm... not sure. We could call for Golden-Eyes, but I don't like being watched." Tony chuckled. He purposely avoided saying Heimdall's name, knowing the Asgardian would hear them.  
Pepper looked back at the two in the living room and bit her lip.

"We should wait for him to heal a bit more, then ask for his opinion," Tony said, making himself a drink. "He might have plans."

* * *

Morgan sat at the dinner table, kicking her legs slightly.  
"Mommy, why isn't Loki allowed to eat with us?"  
  
Tony and Pepper looked at their daughter, then glanced towards the sleeping figure of Loki on the couch.  
"He's sleeping, Maguna." Tony said with a small smile.  
"You coulds wake him up."  
"No, sweetie, he needs rest." Pepper smiled sympathetically at the girl.

Morgan pouted for a few seconds before she started eating again.

* * *

Whispers surrounded him.  
It seemed to be a theme of Loki not understanding these whispers.

Loki opened his eyes and was greeted by a void. Not the unwelcoming, cold, desolate void which left him in the hands of Him, but a warm, welcoming and loving void, a special place just for him and...  
He sat up, looking himself over. He was in lovely sage green robes and a loose pair of pants. He had no injuries, and he could breathe better than before. He also had a necklace on, a long golden chain that held an Infinity symbol, with seven different gems on it.  
Loki stood slowly, noticing that his footsteps left ripples in what looked like dark, shallow water. He had no reflection, but he could still see the ripples.

Loki looked up as he heard footsteps approaching and saw six figures in front of him.

All were varying shades of one or two colours, and all were wearing the same white robe with gold jewellery, the same Infinity necklace on each. They all also had a stone somewhere on their bodies.  
Loki had a good guess of who they were but refused to assume anything.

The red figure looked slightly similar to Dr Jane Foster, Thor's former love. There were many differences, such as the almost fluid-like consistency they had. Their hair flowed like a river, a dark red contrasting against the very pale red skin. The stone sat at their stomach, more of a goopy ball than anything else. They looked nervous, jittery, but happy to see him.

The orange figure stood next to them, a similar height to Red. Their hair was long, in a loose braid. It shifted from a dark, almost brown, orange to a lighter, brighter orange. Their skin was lighter than their hair but darker than Red's. Their stone was over where a human's heart was. Their smile was bright, caring, like the warm sun.

The yellow figure was one of the tallest, with short light yellow hair and even lighter skin and their stone in their forehead. They had cloudlike patterns all over their body, and they had a welcoming smile.

The green figure was shorter than Yellow, but taller than red and orange. They looked very androgynous, young but wise beyond their years. They had no hair and bore their stone at the bottom of their sternum. They were smiling slightly at him, relieved to see him.

The purple figure was either the same height as yellow or slightly shorter. They had short unkempt hair and had light purple skin covered in cracks and darker spots. They also were the only one with facial hair, a neatly trimmed beard and a moustache. Their stone was on their stomach, where the belly button would be. The skin surrounding it was dark purple, and all the cracks flowed from the stone.

The final figure was one he'd seen in his dreams before. They looked like his jötunn form, with dark blue hair and blue skin, medium-sized horns came from their forehead. Their markings glowed softly, and their smile was full of love, unconditional love. Their stone was under where their clavicle met their sternum, and a square pattern sat around it. They were the same height as Purple, the horns making them the tallest. They had the most jewellery, with gold earrings and lovely rings.  
Despite their appearance of his jötunn form, he thought they were beautiful. The most beautiful, most divine thing he'd ever seen. He thought they were all beautiful. He felt warmth flow in his cheeks.  
Loki knew these people. He had known them since his creation, and he would go back to them at his end. He felt their unconditional love wash over him, a warmth curling around his heart.  
"Beloved," Space spoke, stepping forward. "We needed to speak with you."

The void around them changed to a large garden. Space gestured to a table with seven seats around it.  
They all sat, Loki glancing around at them.  
"We need no introduction, I'm guessing?" Time spoke first. Loki shook his head.  
"Of course not, Time."  
"Wonderful," Power said. "We can get the important, serious matters out of the way first then. We need to fill you in on what happened between your.. death and your revival."  
All nodded, smiles crossing their faces.

"As you know, The Mad Titan attacked your vessel, the Statesman, three days after Asgard's destruction and killed many. Heimdall sent Dr Banner, Himself, and The Warriors Three to Earth, where The Sorceror Supreme found them." Loki nodded. It had been lucky they'd saved the injured Asgardians as well. Hela had killed a lot, but she only injured The Warriors Three. Thor was ecstatic when they awoke three days into the trip.

"You gave your life for Thor, and we were heartbroken. We were unable to do anything inside of the Gauntlet, and we apologize that you had to do that." Space said, guilt and grief filling their voice and expression. Power refused to meet his eye, their expression similar to Space's.  
"It's not your fault, either of you." Loki comforted them, his hand sliding onto theirs. Space smiled at him gently.

"On Earth," Mind spoke. "Heimdall, Dr Banner and the Warriors Three landed in the New York Sanctum. They told the two Sorcerors there about The Titan; the Sorceror Supreme and Dr Banner went to find Tony Stark while the other four stayed with Master Wong. The group discussed us, the Stones, and eventually surmised that The Titan would come for Time, who was within the Eye of Agamotto, and myself, in Vision's forehead." Loki nodded.

"During your time as King of Asgard, The Avengers had split apart. Dr Banner and Stark were going to contact the other Avengers, but The Black Order had arrived on Earth. Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian in New York, Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive in Scotland."  
Loki fought a flinch at those names, an avalanche of memories resurfacing. He had just broken the final chains in his head from The Titan and The Other's tampering when Thor had appeared on Asgard again.  
Time continued when Loki was ready.

"Stark, Dr Banner, Master Wong and The Sorceror Supreme fought the Black Order, and the young Peter Parker, a teenaged hero, witnessed the Order's ship from afar and had left his group to join the fight. Dr Banner was unable to transform into the Hulk; we aren't sure why."

"Master Wong used his Sling Ring to put Cull Obsidian somewhere very far away, while Ebony Maw abducted The Sorceror Supreme with Time. Stark and Parker had hidden on the ship, successful stowaways. Master Wong returned to the Sanctum with Dr Banner to fix Heimdall and The Warriors' wounds; Dr Banner called the remaining Avengers-excluding the retired Agent Barton and the house arrested Scott Lang-and informed them of all of these events."  
  
"After The Statesman's destruction, Thor was found by a group called the Guardians of the Galaxy and was saved. After some discussion, they determine The Titan would head to Knowhere for Reality. Thor and two members of the Guardians, Rocket and Groot, headed to Niðavellir to have a new weapon made while the rest of the Guardians headed for Knowhere. Meanwhile, on Earth, Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive ambushed Vision and Wanda Maximoff. Vision was weakened during the attack, and Maximoff could barely hold her own. Luckily, Captain Rogers, Agent Romanoff, and Sam Wilson were there to help her. With their combined strength, they force Proxima Midnight and a wounded Corvus Glaive to retreat. The Avengers headed to the Avengers Compound to plan."

"On Knowhere, The Titan collected Reality and used them to cast an illusion to fool the Guardians. He effortlessly defeated them and captured Gamora, as she knew where Soul resided. Gamora begged Quill, her romantic partner, to kill her. When Quill tried, The Titan used Reality to change the bullets to bubbles, then teleported away."

"In Ebony Maw's ship, Stark and Parker saved the Sorceror Supreme by shooting Ebony Maw into space. The Sorceror Supreme tried convincing Stark to return to Earth, but Stark suggested continuing to Titan, so they could surprise The Titan and get the upper hand. The Sorceror Supreme agreed."

"The Titan gained the location of Soul from Gamora through torturing Nebula. Thor, Rocket and Groot landed in Niðavellir; all the forges had gone dark and cold after The Titan killed all but one; instead, he crippled Eitri so nothing could be forged again. Thor convinced Eitri to help him forge Stormbreaker, a weapon that can summon the Bifrost. On Sanctuary II, Nebula managed to send a message to The Guardians and told them to travel to Titan. Stark, Parker and the Sorceror Supreme landed on Titan eventually and are ambushed by the Guardians who think they work for The Titan. After a tense few moments, they agreed to work together."  
  
"While Stark, Parker and The Guardians discuss a plan, The Sorceror Supreme used me to see into the possible timelines. As I was contained within the Eye of Agamotto, I couldn't give him accurate readings. He only saw one future where The Titan was defeated successfully." Time said sadly, regret filling their voice.

"The Titan and Gamora teleported to Vormir, where Johan Schmidt, Red Skull, greeted them. Space had sent him there to guard Soul after he went mad trying to gain their power. Schmidt tells The Titan the price. 'He must sacrifice what he loves most.'" Soul spoke for the first time in this storytelling. They were angry, their voice venomous. "It only took a sacrifice. It didn't even need to be a person. It could've been a weapon or an object, but Schmidt _lied_."

Loki bit his lip, offering a sympathetic look. Tears dripped from Soul's chin, their hands rushing to wipe them away quickly. Loki opened his arms and Soul collapsed into his hold, soft sobs escaping them.  
Loki spent a few minutes running his fingers through Soul's hair, soothing them as the other Aspects offered comfort.  
Soul let out a sniffle and sat back in their chair.  
  
"Sorry.." Soul started, but Loki stopped them.  
"It's alright, it's not your fault."  
Soul let out another little sniffle and then Mind continued.

"The Titan sacrificed Gamora to gain Soul. On Earth, the Avengers gathered on a different continent. They needed to remove me from Vision, and then they would destroy my stone form. They could've done so, If they had more time. The remaining Black Order members landed outside of Wakanda's protective shield. The King of Wakanda, T'Challa, gathered the troops to defend Earth. Dr Banner wore one of Stark's larger suits, still unable to transform into the Hulk. On Niðavellir, Rocket and Thor had successfully revived the core, but forge's mechanical system was damaged. Thor risked his life holding it open."

Loki stood, his face white. "He _WHAT_?" Space stood and soothed him, sitting him back down.  
"Your brother survived the process, Stormbreaker was forged, and they landed in Wakanda during the battle. With their aid, they managed to turn the fight in the Avenger's favour."

"The Titan arrived on Titan and spoke with the Sorceror Supreme. The Titan explained his motivations, his planet's destruction creating a warped idea that his plan was _mercy._ He was lying, of course. I'm sure you know his _true_ motivations." Time glanced away. Loki knew, of course. The Titan was obsessed with _Death herself,_ believing himself her lover. He wanted to give her a sacrifice. The Titan had gone over his plan multiple times during the year-long torment.

"The Guardians, Stark, Parker and The Sorceror Supreme engaged The Titan in battle, but The Titan single-handedly repelled their attempts until Nebula arrived and distracted him. The Sorceror Supreme, Parker and Drax pinned his limbs while Mantis used her abilities to put him to sleep. She wasn't fully successful and he was half-conscious, but still weakened enough that Stark could start removing the Gauntlet. Unfortunately, Nebula deduced that The Titan had killed Gamora and Quill went into a rage, attacking the Titan and causing him to regain consciousness despite the other's protests."  
  
"The fight now in The Titan's favour, he unleashed our full power, defeating them easily. He confronts the Sorceror Supreme, demanding Time, but Stark attacks him. The Titan overpowers him easily, seriously wounding him. The Titan almost killed Stark, but the Sorceror Supreme traded Time for Stark's life. The Titan agreed, and left to get Mind."

"In Wakanda, The Avengers and their allies defeat the Black Order. They thought they won, but The Titan arrived. They assembled to defend Vision but they are easily defeated. Vision realized they wouldn't win, and asked Maximoff to destroy Mind. She reluctantly agreed, and shattered the Stone, vaporising both the stone and Vision. The Titan used Time to reverse it, however, and ripped Mind from Vision's forehead, killing him."

"He had gathered all of us and planned to erase half of all life, but Thor surprised him, launching Stormbreaker into his chest and heavily wounded him. The Titan mocked Thor, then snapped his fingers. The Gauntlet was mangled by our power, and half of all life slowly disappeared, turning to dust."  
  
"The Original Avengers survived, along with Rocket, Nebula, Colonel Rhodes, Scott Lang, Pepper Potts, Okoye, Volstagg, Hogun, Heimdall, Valkyrie, Captain Danvers, Korg, and Miek. The Titan fled to The Garden, satisfied with himself, and destroyed our physical forms. We, the Aspects, were scattered throughout the cosmos, where we searched for you and spent four years gathering our strength to revive and send you here."

Loki leant back in his chair, swallowing the lump in his throat. He nodded, glancing around at them all.  
"Thank you for informing me, it's very helpful."  
"Of course, beloved." Space smiled. "It should be time to wake up now, you've been asleep for a while."

Loki nodded, standing up as the scenery faded back to the void. Each cosmic aspect gave him a kiss, either on the cheek or his forehead and they all shared a smile.  
"We'll speak to you soon, beloved."

Loki's vision faded, and he felt like he was floating.

* * *

Green eyes opened to Tony Stark shaking him gently.

"Goodmorning, sunshine." the inventor said, despite it being very dark outside, holding up a cup with a straw. "I'm going to make you a smoothie- a thick drink that's like food- What are your allergies?"  
Loki blinked a few times, realizing he couldn't speak properly yet without causing damage to his throat. Loki made a simulacrum, a weak one.  
"I'm allergic to Bananas, Strawberries and Viscum album- Mistletoe, I think is the common name for it."  
Tony nodded, slightly unnerved by his use of seiðr. "Alright. By the way, I'm going to find you a neck brace, to prevent your neck from healing wrong or rebreaking."  
And then the man was gone, off in the kitchen.  
Loki slowly sat up, feeling his body protest. This couch didn't do wonders for his bruised form, but Loki wouldn't say anything. It was fine, for now.

The inventor returned with the smoothie-"It's chocolate." made Loki perk up like a _dog_ \- and he watched Loki drink it slowly. It was heavenly, it soothed his throat and made his soul sing. Tony watched him gulp it down greedily-"Slow down there, cowboy."-then took the glass with a strained smile.

Loki could tell he was trying to be nice, but was still distrustful. Loki didn't blame him at all, though.

Loki laid back down, the moment his head hit the pillow he was out like a light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is literally just my excuse to explain some canon differences like Heimdall and The Warriors Three being alive, minus Fandral and Sif post-snap.  
> the adult Starks are warming up to Loki.
> 
> next chapter may or may not skip a week, It honestly just depends on how my brain feels at the time.
> 
> come yell at me on [my tumblr](https://tittydicktea.tumblr.com/)


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